Page 15 of Beautiful Harmony

“You’re an esthetician?” Emma asked. She didn’t know Arianna all that well. Arianna and Rayna had only become friends in the spring, and Emma hadn’t spent much time with the nineteen-year-old. Honestly, she’d been surprised by Rayna and Arianna’s friendship. And not just because Arianna was eight years younger than Rayna. Arianna was a social media influencer who did videos on makeup and hair and relationships, wore designer clothes, and never left the house without perfect makeup and hair.

Rayna didn’t care about fashion, wore her hair in a bun or ponytail, and Emma could count on one hand the number of times she’d seen Rayna wear makeup.

“No, but, like, I wax myself and my friends all the time,” Arianna said as she prepared to wax Rayna’s other eyebrow.

Emma helped herself to some iced tea from the fridge as Arianna tore another strip of hair from Rayna’s face. She studied her work before using tweezers to pluck a few stray hairs.

“God, that’s so much better. I seriously can’t believe you’ve never waxed your eyebrows before, Rayna.” She handed Rayna a mirror and unplugged the wax pot as Rayna studied her eyebrows.

“Emma, what do you think?” Arianna asked.

“They look great,” Emma said.

Arianna smiled happily as Rayna said, “Fine. I will admit that they look good, but I’m not sure it’s worth the effort or the pain.”

“Oh, please,” Arianna said, “waxing eyebrows is nothing. Wait until I convince you to wax your muff. Then you’ll know pain.”

“That is never happening,” Rayna said as the poodle cross walked into the kitchen.

It leaned against Arianna, and she quickly patted it before saying, “I don’t even know how you find guys who like a seventies bush. The latest guy I banged wanted me to wax it bald.”

Rayna frowned. “I hope you didn’t just because he wanted you to do it.”

“Oh God no,” Arianna said. “Like, I know my worth, and it has nothing to do with my body hair. I told him he could kiss my hairy muff goodbye if he didn’t like it.”

Emma laughed. “Good for you.”

“But,” Arianna gave Rayna a look, “that doesn’t mean you should just let yours grow out of control. A well-groomed muff isn’t a bad thing.”

“Can we please stop talking about my crotch and how much hair is on it,” Rayna said. “I agreed to let you wax my eyebrows. That’s it, Arianna.”

Arianna sat down between Emma and Rayna and studied Emma’s face. “So, like, you know I love how you embrace your natural beauty, and your well-moisturized skin is to die for, but are you interested in minimizing your birthmark?”

“Arianna,” Rayna said.

“I’m not saying she has to,” Arianna said, “but I also know how cruel people are and, like, it’s my job to make people feel good about themselves. Emma has beautiful skin - you really need to moisturize like she does, Rayna - but people are dicks about her birthmark, right? I want to help her live her best life.”

Rayna gave Emma an apologetic look, but in all honesty, Emma didn’t mind. The teenager’s bluntness about her birthmark was a refreshing change from people’s usual pity or pretending it didn’t exist.

“I was sent a new foundation sample from a makeup company I’m working with. It has amazing coverage and looks so natural. I’d like to try it on you,” Arianna said.

“My skin is very sensitive,” Emma said. “Any foundation I try dries out my skin and also somehow makes me break out into a million zits.”

“This one is a hypoallergenic brand,” Arianna said. “So, it shouldn’t irritate your skin. Anyway, think about it, and if you’re interested, I’ll bring it over.”

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. “Oh my God, I have to go. That wretched Candace Werkenheimer posted a video on blending techniques that is a direct rip-off of mine. God, Willington people really are the worst.”

She stood and headed for the doorway.

“What about your wax?” Rayna asked.

“I’ll get it later,” Arianna said. “Love you, Ray-Ray.”

“Love you too,” Rayna said with a grin at Emma.

She waited until the front door closed before saying, “Did I seriously have caterpillars for eyebrows before?”

“No,” Emma said, “but Arianna did a great job tidying them up. They look good, honey.”

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